Apparatus for stacking uncured brick

ABSTRACT

In a pickup head for gripping one or more columns of raw, uncured brick or tile arranged in end-to-end relationship, at least one support tongue disposed between a pair of outer gripper arms for reciprocal sliding movement longitudinally of the column. The slidable support tongue supports the brick intermediate the gripper arms and prevents deformation of the soft brick ends.

United States Patent Paschal et al.

[ 5] Oct. 24, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR STACKI NG UNCURED BRICK [72] Inventors: Forrest A. Paschal; Gerald L. Stuart; Forrest A. Paschal, II, all of Silver City, NC.

[73] Assignee: Forrest Paschal Machinery Company, Silver City, NC.

[22] Filed: March 4, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 121,058

[52] US. Cl. ..294/63 R, 214/6 A, 294/67 BB [51] Int. Cl ..B66c 1/30 [58] Field of Search...294/62, 63, 67 R, 67 B, 67 BB,

294/87 R; 214/6 R, 6 A, 377, 653, 654, 655

[56] References Cited 7 UNITED STATES'PATENTS Dupuy, ..294/62 Bennett ..294/63 R Lingl ..2l4/6 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Att0rneyHunt, Heard & Rhodes [57] ABSTRACT In a pickup head for gripping one or more columns of raw, uncured brick or tile arranged in end-to-end relationship, at least one support tongue disposed between a pair of outer gripper arms for reciprocal sliding movement longitudinally of the column. The slidable support tongue supports the brick intermediate the gripper arms and prevents deformation of the soft brick ends.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures Patented Get. 24, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 PRIOR ART FIG.

V WgTORS FORREST A. PAS H 3 GERALD L.STUART FORREST A. PASCHALIL M 54 My m ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1972 FIG. 4

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG?

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 25 I NVENTOR FORREST A. PASCHAL GERALD L. STUART Y FORREST .A. PASCHALII' ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 24, 1972 7 3,700,274

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 oooooo 000000000 27' 000000 00000000 I gaw 9 000 000 000 I 00 00 00 34 21 3|" (2 27" .Vyoooooo 000 INVENTORS FOR ST A. PASCHAL GERA D L. STUART 1 FORREST A. PASCHALIE ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR STACKING UNCURED BRICK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has become conventional practice in the brickmaking industry to use a pickup head having end plates or grippers which are adapted to bear against opposite ends of a course of brick, exerting pressure against the brick to form a compact course and lift them onto a stack. The pressure exerted is not sufficient to crush the fired brick which have a compressive strength of in the neighborhood of 5,000 to 15,000 p.s.1.

With the advent of automated brickmaking plants wherein bricks are cut from raw clay or other suitable raw material, stacked on kiln cars, fired, unstacked and hacked automatically, gripper assemblies have been developed for transferring and stacking freshly cut, unfired clay or other raw material in the shape of bricks and tiles from a conveyor or arranging table onto a kiln car or other receptacle. During such operations, it becomes necessary to grip a course comprising one or more columns of bricks arranged end-to-end between a pair of gripper arms in order to lift the bricks from the conveyor onto the kiln car. Since the raw clay bricks are much softer and have to be given more support when picked up by pressure applied to the ends, there have been developed center plates or tongues positioned intermediate the gripper arms against which the bricks are urged to provide such additional support.

For purposes of this discussion a column is a plurality of bricks arranged in end-to end relationship and a course is a plurality of side-by-side columns either in engagement with each other or slightly spaced and adapted to be lifted in one operation. A course may comprise one or more layers.

When lifting one or more columns of brick in which each column includes more than four bricks, it has been found necessary to provide additional, intermediate support blades, as it is extremely difficult to lift a column of bricksbetween one gripper arm and'a central support blade without deforming or dropping the brick. As additional blades are added, the additional blades must be adapted to move or somehow be displaced, since the interface between adjacent bricks in the column shifts from one position to another as the grippers close.

One known approach to this problem is the use of resilient blades as shown in the US. Letters Pat. to Lingl No. 3,270,897. Such a solution is not entirely satisfactory due to the fact that a rigid blade or tongue provides more stable support. Moreover, due to the position change of the interface, a bendable or resiliently attached tongue will tend to deform the brick ends as the grippers slide the brick together. Additionally, all manufacturers change their brick size slightly due to the different shrinkages in the body of the raw material and also due to the fact that a fraction of an inch may be cut off the brick. Therefore flexible tongues may cause even a further distorting of the ends of the brick in the case of a short or long brick. This is particularly true if a flexible tongue is not initially placed exactly in the desired position whereby a rounding off or distortion of the ends will be effected by the handling of the brick.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION The present invention, on the other hand, is directed to an improvement in pickup. heads, wherein at least one planar support tongue is adapted to be positioned between adjacent bricks in the column and is slidably mounted intermediate the gripper arms of a pickup head for movement longitudinally of the column responsive to the compacting of the bricks therein by movement of the gripper arms.

The upper portion of the floating blade or tongue includes a clearance hole therein through which a support shaft is freely passable. In a preferred embodiment one end of the support shaft is attached to the inner surface of the outside gripper arm, which in turn is powered by an air cylinder for reciprocal movement. The support shaft extends inwardly above the brick package and includes a stop or shoulder at the free end thereof adapted to engage and control the floating support blade. As the air cylinder urges the gripper arms to their open position for initially receiving a course of brick, the shoulder on the support shaft engages and moves the floating blade along the shaft to a prescribed position for insertion into the gap between the brick. As the air cylinder or cylinders are reversed to close the gripper arms, the support shaft slides freely through the movable blade, while the brick are urged inwardly against the face of the support blade or blades, moving them inwardly until the brick are tightly gripped thereagainst. In such a position the floating support blades are held upright, rather than at a curved or angled attitude, so as not to distort the ends of the bricks. On the other hand the plates are sufficiently'rigid to provide the support necessary between the brick to properly commence the lifting operation.

If desired, an intermediate or secondary shoulder or stop may be provided on the support shaft at a position spaced from the end thereof, so that the pickup head may be adapted to build a rectangular stack. In such an operation, the columns in a first course will be engaged by the outer gripping arms of the head, lifted, and transferred to the kiln car, while in the succeeding course the support blade is urged by the intermediate shoulder against the end of columns having a fewer number of bricks, and the floating blade is actually the outer gripping arm. The pickup head then lifts, rotates and forms a second course on top of the first with a fewer number of bricks in the column forming the narrower dimension. In building up a rectangular stack on the kiln car, the steps set forth above are alternately repeated until the brick stack has reached a desired height.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved pickup head for lifting and stacking courses of raw, uncured brick onto a kiln car.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved brick pickup head of the type described which includes at least one floating support blade between the outer arms thereof adapted to provide support between the bricks in each column of the course to be lifted without distorting the ends of the brick therein.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a brick pickup head of the type described wherein the floating support blade is automatically positioned for insertion between the brick in each column as the gripper arms are extended outwardly to pick up a new course.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a brick pickup head of the type described wherein a plurality of support shafts are interchangeable, so that the same head may be used with different sizes of bricks or in lifting courses of brick having differing numbers of rows.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a gripper head of a type presently in use, illustrating the deformation problems occurring when attempting to lift more than two uncured bricks without sufficient support;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partially in section, with parts broken away, illustrating a pickup head according to the present invention handling columns containing more than four bricks;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus in FIG. 2, taken substantially along line 33 therein;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4 except being used for handling larger bricks;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to a modified brick stacking apparatus without a fixed center blade;

FIG. & IS A VIEW SIMILAR TO FIG. 6, except illustrating the grippers in closed position for lifting a column of bricks;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are schematic representations of another alternate embodiment of the invention, illustrating how a single gripper head can be used to form a rectangular stack by alternately gripping courses having differing numbers of rows of bricks; and

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates a further alternate embodiment wherein the slidable blade is mounted in a slightly different manner.

A brick stacking apparatus, illustrative of a type presently in use, is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1. Gripper head includes a pair or pairs of oppositely disposed gripper members of arms 17 adapted to bear against opposite ends of a column of bricks arranged in end-to-end relationship. Arms 17 exert sufficient pressure against the ends of the brick column so that it can be lifted along with other columns onto a stack. In order to grip and lift more than two uncured brick arranged end-to-end at one time, a support means such as center blade 19 must be provided intermediate the oppositely disposed gripper members 17. Center blade 19 is a rigid, stationary member against which gripper members 17 urge and hold the bricks as they are being lifted. When lifting more than two green, uncured brick without intermediate support, there is a tendency to sag, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or to bow laterally if not supported on either side, thereby deforming the brick because of necessary increased pressure. Moreover there is a distinct possibility of dropping the brick, thereby increasing the down time of the apparatus in order to correct the disorder.

A preferred embodiment of the improved gripping apparatus 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 and includes a series of pairs of opposed gripper members 21, each pair adapted to grip and lift a column of bricks aligned end-to-end. Each pair of oppositely disposed outside gripper members 21 also include an actuating means 23 for alternately opening and closing gripper members 21, a rigid, vertically disposed center blade 29 intermediate gripper members 21 and a pair of vertically disposed, slidably mounted center blades 25. Each blade 25 is attached to one of the gripper members 21 by means of a support shaft 27, thereby forming a floating support blade which remains perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the brick column and in proper relation to the brick headers.

Gripper head 20 is suspended from an overhead hoist and'carriage (not shown) by vertical support beam 60, which enables the apparatus to be raised, lowered,

moved from pickup point to stacking point and positioned for proper pickup and stacking of the raw brick. Gripper head 20 includes a support carriage 64 which is connected in a well known manner to support beam 60 by overhead carriage rail connections 62 to facilitate proper positioning thereof.

Although each pair of gripper members 21 as described herein is adapted to pick up a single column of uncured brick layed in end-to-end alignment, it should be understood that a plurality of such gripper members are generally mounted together on a single overhead hoist and carriage assembly for the purpose of lifting a complete course of brick comprising a plurality of parallel edge-to-edge columns, each course having one or more layers of brick therein (see FIG. 2).

Referring now to FIG. 3, gripper member 21 comprises a horizontally disposed support bar 31, reciprocally mounted between roller bearings 32 which in turn are suitably mounted between-the side plates 18 of each gripper member 21. Support bar 31 has attached to the inner end thereof an upstanding arm 33, the upper end of which is engaged by the piston 24 of air cylinder 23, for providing a reciprocal force to support bar 31. A depending gripper arm 34 is fixedly attached to the outer end of support bar 31 and forms the gripping portion of gripping member 21 that bears against opposite ends of a column of uncured brick arranged in end-to-end alignment. Air cylinder 23 is fixedly attached to horizontal support carriage 64 and interconnected with a suitable source of compressed air (not shown).

A stationary center beam 50, extending longitudinally of gripper head 20, supports laterally extending arms 51 to which are secured gripper support guides 52. A lug 36, depends from the bottom of support bar 31 by any suitable means such as welding, and includes a first bore therethrough to slidably receive gripper guides 52, whereby gripper 21 is held in vertical alignment during reciprocal movement by air cylinder 23 as hereinbefore described.

Depending lug 36 further includes a second bore therein adapted to support a horizontally extending shaft 27, one end of which is suitably secured to the inner surface of gripper arm 34. Shaft 27 thus becomes an integral part of gripper member 21 and accordingly reciprocates therewith. A planar, vertically disposed support tongue 25 having an opening therethrough in the upper portion thereof is slidably mounted on support shaft 27. A stop 28 on the free end of shaft 27 prevents blade 25 from sliding therefrom and also operates to return tongue 25 to its initial prescribed position upon the return stroke of gripper 21. Blade 25 is preferably also supported in a track having bearings thereon (not shown) to provide free lateral movement without cocking or binding.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, a rigid, fixed center blade 29 depends from stationary center beam 50 and is positioned substantially midway between gripper members 21.

An abutment 66 depends downwardly from carriage 64 into the path of upstanding arm 33 during closure of gripper members 21. A compression spring 68 is secured to abutment 66 and extends horizontally toward upstanding arm 33 for reasons to be hereinafter described.

Inasmuch as the structure of gripper head on one side of stationary center beam 50 and fixed center blade 29 represents a mirror image of the structure on the opposite side thereof, matching elements on opposite sides of beam 50 have been designated by the same character reference numbers; therefore, while the foregoing description is directed to elements on one side of gripper head 20, it should be understood that both sides are intended to be included therein. Furthermore, while the gripper member 21 and its actuating means have been described somewhat in detail, such description is for the purpose of promoting a clearer understanding of the gripper head 20 as used in the practice of the invention, a discussion of which will follow. In practice other gripping means than that contained in the foregoing discussion would be suitable for use, the important feature being the floating support tongue in combination therewith.

Turning now to a discussion of the operation of gripper head 20, overhead hoist and carriage (not shown) positions the assembly over the column or columns of brick that are in end-to-end alignment. Cylinders 23 open each gripper member 21 to receive the brick and in so doing stop 28 on support shaft 27 urges slidable blade to a prescribed position for insertion into the space between the adjacent ends of selected bricks in the column. As gripper head 20 is lowered, floating blades 25 and fixed center blade 29 are positioned between the selected bricks as illustrated in FIG. 4. Cylinders 23 are then activated in one direction to close gripper members 21 causing depending gripper arms 34 to bear against the opposite ends of the column of brick, urging the bricks in the column inwardly against the face of floating blades 25 and fixed center blade 29. Simultaneously and in response to the gripping, floating blades 25 are slid along linkage rod 27 until the bricks are tightly gripped with floating blades 25 in vertical alignment therebetween so as not to distort the ends of the brick as illustrated in FIG. 5. Upper arms 33 have in the meantime engaged and compressed spring 68, the compressive force exerted by gripper members 21 overcoming the bias of spring 68. The bricks are then lifted and transported for stacking without distortion of the brick ends, and upon positioning for release, the air pressure on cylinders 23 is released. Springs 68 then urge gripper members 21 outwardly a short distance sufficient to release the column or columns of bricks being held onto a kiln car for removal to the kiln. Carriage 64 is then returned to a position above the remaining bricks to be loaded and air cylinders 23 are activated in the reverse direction to return gripper members 21 to the initial position as the cycle repeats. It is to be again pointed out that although the description above is directed to a single pair of grippers 21, the operation is generally carried out with a plurality of gripper members arranged side by side to grip and lift an entire course of bricks at once.

The device illustrated in FIG. 3 is a detailed representation of the gripper head illustrated schematically in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein the stationary center blade 29 of FIG. 4 has been removed, and two bricks of the six brick column are lifted between each of the support surfaces formed by gripper arms 21 and floating blades 25. FIG. 7 is the same gripper as shown in FIG. 6, except the gripper arms have been activated to the pickup position. The lateral shifting of blades 25 should be noted, as well as the fact that coil springs 68 are engaged and compressed in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a further embodiment of pickup head 20' adapted for use with columns of five bricks. Such an embodiment utilizes a stationary center blade 29' and only one slidable blade 25. A second stop 70 is secured to shaft 27 at a position spaced slightly from the free end thereof as will be hereinafter described. The second stop 70 permitsthe head 20' to be used for lifting columns of five bricks, wherein slidable blade 25' operates as hereinabove described. However when building rectangular stacks, alternate courses will contain'columns of four bricks. In such in stances second stop 70 will urge slidable plate 25 against one end of the column (FIG. 9), so that the slidable blade acts effectively as an outside gripper arm.

The embodiment of FIG. 10 is illustrative of a slight change to the means by which blade 25 is mounted to gripper arm 21 for slidable movement. In this embodiment shaft 27 is secured between a pair of lugs 72 and 74, which in turn depend from the support bar 31" and act as first and second stop means for selectively engaging blade 25" and moving itto a prescribed position similar to the manner hereinabove described. In addition center blade 29" may be enthickened as illustrated to provide a flue in the package.

Although various specific embodiments have been described herein, it is understood that they are for purposes of illustration and the invention is not to be in any way limited to the details described herein, but is capable of various changes within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for gripping a column of bricks arranged in end-to-end relationship to one another with at least some of said bricks being initially spaced from one another, said apparatus comprising:

tongue means projectable between the ends of at least some of adjacent bricks of said column;

gripping means engageable with the opposite ends of said column for exerting a compacting force thereagainst, thereby moving the bricks in said column toward one another and at least some of the bricks into engagement with said tongue means; and

means mounting said tongue means to said apparatus for free reciprocal movement longitudinally of said column responsive to the compacting of said column by said brick gripping means, said mounting means comprising a horizontally extending shaft extending longitudinally of said column and spaced slightly above said column, said tongue means including a plate having an opening in the upper portion thereof for slidably receiving said shaft. 2. Apparatus for gripping a column of bricks arranged in end-to-end relationship to one another with at least some of said bricks being initially spaced from one another, said apparatus comprising:

tongue means projectable between the ends of at least some of adjacent bricks of said column;

gripping means comprising a pair of depending arms movable between a first, open position spaced from the ends of said column and a second, compacting position in compacting engagement with opposite ends of said column, a reciprocal drive means, each of said gripper arms comprising a horizontal portion extending longitudinally of and above said column, a lower portion extending downwardly from the outer ends of said horizontal portion and engageable with one end of said column, each of said gripper arms being operatively engaged by said reciprocal drive means, whereby said gripping means in engageable with the opposite ends of said column for exerting a compacting force thereagainst, thereby moving the bricks in said column toward one another and at least some of the bricks into engagement with said tongue means; and

means mounting said tongue means to said apparatus for free reciprocal movement longitudinally of said column responsive to the compacting of said column by said gripping means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means mounting said tongue means to said apparatus includes a mounting shaft secured to said gripping means, extending longitudinally of said column and spaced slightly above said column, said tongue means comprising a plate having an opening in the upper portion thereof for slidably receiving said shaft; and said shaft including a first stop means thereon for engaging one side of said plate and urging said plate to a prescribed position responsive to the movement of said depending arms to said first, open position.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said mounting shaft includes a second stop means thereon spaced from said first stop means for selectively engaging the other side of said plate when it is desired to use said plate as a compacting means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said gripper arms further includes an upper portion extending upwardly from the inner end of said horizontal portion, said upper portion being operatively engaged by said reciprocal drive means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of tongue means and gripping means are provided, one of said tongue means and gripping means associated with each column to be lifted, whereupon a course of brick comprising a plurality of said columns arranged in side-by-side relationship may be lifted simultaneously. 

1. Apparatus for gripping a column of bricks arranged in end-toend relationship to one another with at least some of said bricks being initially spaced from one another, said apparatus comprising: tongue means projectable between the ends of at least some of adjacent bricks of said column; gripping means engageable with the opposite ends of said column for exerting a compacting force thereagainst, thereby moving the bricks in said column toward one another and at least some of the bricks into engagement with said tongue means; and means mounting said tongue means to said apparatus for free reciprocal movement longitudinally of said column responsive to the compacting of said column by said brick gripping means, said mounting means comprising a horizontally extending shaft extending longitudinally of said column and spaced slightly above said column, said tongue means including a plate having an opening in the upper portion thereof for slidably receiving said shaft.
 2. Apparatus for gripping a column of bricks arranged in end-to-end relationship to one another with at least some of said bricks being initially spaced from one another, said apparatus comprising: tongue means projectable between the ends of at least some of adjacent bricks of said column; gripping means comprising a pair of depending arms movable between a first, open position spaced from the ends of said column and a second, compacting position in compacting engagement with opposite ends of said column, a reciprocal drive means, each of said gripper arms comprising a horizontal portion extending longitudinally of and above said column, a lower portion extending downwardly from the outer ends of said horizontal portion and engageable with one end of said column, each of said gripper arms being operatively engaged by said reciprocal drive means, whereby said gripping means in engageable with the opposite ends of said column for exerting a compacting force thereagainst, thereby moving the bricks in said column toward one another and at least some of the bricks into engagement with said tongue means; and means mounting said tongue means to said apparatus for free reciprocal movement longitudinally of said column responsive to the compacting of said column by said gripping means.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means mounting said tongue means to said apparatus includes a mounting shaft secured to said gripping means, extending longitudinally of said column and spaced slightly above said column, said tongue means comprising a plate having an opening in the upper portion thereof for slidably receiving said shaft; and said shaft including a first stop means thereon for engaging one side of said plate and urging said plate to a prescribed position responsive to the movement of said depending arms to said first, open position.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said mounting shaft includes a second stop means thereon spaced from said first stop means for selectively engaging the other side of said plate when it is desired to use said plate as a compacting means.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said gripper arms further includes an upper portion extending upwardly from the inner end of said horizontal portion, said upper portion being operatively engaged by said reciprocal drive means.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of tongue means and gripping means are provided, one of said tongue means and gripping means associated with each column to be lifted, whereupon a course of brick comprising a plurality of said columns arranged in side-by-side relationship may be lifted simultaneously. 